


comfort. noun. a good feeling; ease

by nonbinarywithaknife (littleboxes)



Series: dimension 20 [3]
Category: Dimension 20 (Web Series)
Genre: Abrupt Ending, Campaign: A Crown of Candy, Comfort No Hurt, Fluff, Gen, Nightmares, Platonic Cuddling, The Rocks Sisters Were Dangerously Adorable Kids
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-29
Updated: 2020-04-29
Packaged: 2021-03-01 18:15:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 757
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23911414
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/littleboxes/pseuds/nonbinarywithaknife
Summary: It’s Jet who pokes her head out and says mournfully, “Ruby had a nightmare. Mom and Dad are still gone out in the Mountains or whatever, but Dad said if we had any nightmares while he was gone that we could come and sleep with you!”Theobald sighs, because he knows that’s probably true, but he wishes the King had informed him of this new facet of his job, because he tends to sleep with a dagger under his pillow and it’s best not to keep sharp things within reach of the twin troublemakers, even at the tender age of ten.
Relationships: Theobald Gumbar & Jet Rocks, Theobald Gumbar & Ruby Rocks
Series: dimension 20 [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1706107
Comments: 22
Kudos: 145





	comfort. noun. a good feeling; ease

**Author's Note:**

> @hufflepirate wrote a very good and sweet fic that inspired this, and you should all go read that: https://hufflepirate.tumblr.com/post/616740363372199936/its-adhd-hours-bay-beeeee-anyway-a-storm-woke

The first time Theobald is woken up in the night by a pair of twin bodies climbing into his bed, he jolts awake and is halfway to reaching for his sword before he registers how tiny they are.

“Princesses…? Is there something- wrong?”

They’re currently both snuggling into his sides, and if he’s not mistaken there is the quiet sound of muffled sniffling. It’s Jet who pokes her head out and says mournfully, “Ruby had a nightmare. Mom and Dad are still gone out in the Mountains or whatever, but Dad said if we had any nightmares while he was gone that we could come and sleep with you!”

Theobald sighs, because he knows that’s probably true, but he wishes the King had informed him of this new facet of his job, because he tends to sleep with a dagger under his pillow and it’s best not to keep sharp things within reach of the twin troublemakers, even at the tender age of ten.

Thankfully, Theo’s bed is big enough for two ten year olds to curl up comfortably, and he falls back asleep soon enough.

The second time is a few months later, but instead of two there’s just young Ruby. She folds herself into the blanket and he stares at her with surprise.

“Is something wrong, Princess Ruby? Your father is home…?”

Apparently that’s the wrong thing to say, because her lip starts to quiver and her eyes water and Theobald is filled with panic because he’s made one of the princesses _cry_.

“Me ‘n Jet had a _fight_ and now she’s _mad at me_ but she went to sleep with Dad and I wanna sleep with Dad too but I don’t want her to be more mad! And you’re almost as good as Dad anyway,“ she sniffs.

Theo has never felt more out of his element, but when he awkwardly reaches out an arm to pat Ruby on the shoulder, she takes the opportunity to dart into his side and cling there.

Theo doesn’t actually sleep most of the night, mostly out of paranoia that Ruby will start crying again.

(The princesses have resolved whatever they were fighting about by the next day, and Theo just prays to the Bulb that he will never be faced with those teary eyes ever again. He can resist them, yes, but he thinks he has a better understanding of the King’s weakness, now. The princesses are just so _small_.)

By something like the tenth time, the princesses are fifteen and Theo has long since requisitioned two small extra blankets that he keeps folded away, just in case. These come in handy when the princesses turn up in his doorway, looking up at him with big, pleading eyes.

They’re tall enough now that he’s half falling off the bed, but they insist on crawling in anyway. They don’t give a reason and it’s not Theo’s place to ask, but given the raging thunderstorm outside he can hazard a guess- though why they’ve come to him instead of Amethar, who Theo knows is more than happy to have his girls near him, he doesn’t know- so instead he waits until they’ve fallen asleep to tuck them in more carefully and move to the small chair in front of the fireplace.

The princesses are eighteen, and they are carefully enclosed in a carriage as Theo runs through the motions of Find Familiar with Ruby. Jet follows along, even though she can’t cast herself. Theo _likes_ teaching them, especially something so close to his heart.

He wishes that Lazuli could be here to teach them instead- she was _leagues_ better at magic than him, but- but he hopes he’ll do her proud.

He doesn’t notice that Jet has fallen asleep on him until he goes to correct one of Ruby’s hand motions and hears a tired grumble of irritation.

He blinks at the sleeping princess on his shoulder, and then opens one of the small windows a crack. The sun is only just barely beginning to set- they have perhaps an hour before they reach the next keep on the road, and Ruby is beginning to tire as well.

He packs away the books with as little movement as possible, and resigns himself to being a pillow when Ruby settles in on his other side.

Theo himself does not sleep, the images of the fallen tree and Ruby in a blood-soaked doublet still too fresh in his mind, but he keeps watch over the sleeping princesses until they reach the keep.


End file.
